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Jemaah Islamiah militants resume attacks
The feared Jemaah Islamiah terror network is beginning to regroup and launch new attacks against Christians in Indonesia to mark the onset of Ramadan, according to new reports. Following several weeks of violence in Poso, central Sulawesi, in which 13 people died, Indonesiaâs respected Tempo magazine yesterday said the attacks were the handiwork of militants linked to JI. The Government and religious leaders have called for tolerance and peace during the holy month of Ramadan, during which observant Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk. But in Poso, where Christians and Muslims have been engaged in sporadic but bloody fighting since 1998, Islamic militants recently relaunched a "jihad against Christian groups" to mark "perang amaliah", a local tradition of waging war during Ramadan.Ainât these local traditions wonderful? Another man was shot dead there yesterday, although police were hesitant to blame the killing on religious extremists. "In Poso this kind of incident can be common. We are not sure and it could be a business rivalry," Poso police chief Akbp Abdi Dharma said. Just another one of those local traditions. But a former leader of the Laskar Mujahdin extremist group said he had no doubt the latest round of violence was prompted by JI. Mr Ikhwanudin, now working for an aid group in Poso, said JI militants failed in an attempt to recruit him back to the group three months before an upsurge of rioting earlier this month. "I had enough. The ones who got benefits were the elites," he said. I guess he found he can skim more money working for an aid group, itâs safer too! Indonesia has moved extra forces to Poso to restore security. But Mr Ikhwanudin said the military must also be shifted into Sulawesi in greater numbers to quell the re-emergence of JI. "Intelligence have found out that JI leaders were here, so they have to add some forces," he said. "They (the militants) are all ready to die." OK by me. The militants were using recruiters on Indonesiaâs main island of Java to help support the fight, he said. Running out of local cannon fodder. Posted by: Steve 2003-10-27 |
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